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Diagnostic Laboratory

A pet that appears healthy can often be hiding symptoms of disease. A physical exam is often not enough to diagnose your pet and additional diagnostic tests may be required. Harmony Animal Hospital is equipped with a complete, state-of-the art diagnostic laboratory with results often available in a few minutes. We also work with several outside laboratories should your pet require specialized testing.

Heartworm testing, complete blood counts, blood chemistry panels, electrolytes, urinalysis and fecal examinations are some of the many laboratory tests that we can perform at the hospital. Our sophisticated laboratory equipment means that your pet's laboratory results are quickly available so that we can provide fast, comprehensive treatment for your pet.

Our extensive laboratory services provide information that is critical to sick or injured pets allowing them to receive appropriate treatment in a timely manner. We also process pre-anesthetic tests, which are often necessary before your pet undergoes surgery, as well as important wellness tests to be sure there is no underlying illness and to set a baseline for future comparison when medical treatment becomes necessary.

Translating Lab Tests
We are pleased to provide you with some information regarding blood testing. We recommend blood testing before any anesthetic procedure, and we also advise it for wellness screening on a yearly basis. Do not hesitate to call or email the hospital if you have specific questions.

Many technologies that help humans live longer, healthier lives are available to your pet. By performing some basic blood tests, your veterinarian can gather information concerning the health and well being of your pet.
professional, couteous veterinary staff
Quinn in the lab/pharmacy at Harmony

What kinds of laboratory tests are available?
Your veterinarian will take into account your pet’s symptoms, breed, age and sex when recommending laboratory tests. The following are the most common laboratory tests in veterinary practice.

Complete Blood Count (CBC)
A CBC measures the number of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in a sample of blood. The numbers of each type of cell give your veterinarian information to help him diagnose anemia, infections and leukemia. If your pet is undergoing treatment for a condition, a complete blood count can help your veterinarian monitor how your pet is responding to the treatment.

Urinalysis (UA)
Laboratory testing of your pet’s urine will help your veterinarian detect the presence of specific substances that normally do not appear in urine, including protein, sugar, white blood cells or blood. Measuring the dilution or concentration of urine can also help your veterinarian diagnose illness. Urinalysis can be helpful in diagnosing urinary-tract infections, diabetes, dehydration, kidney problems and other conditions.

Blood-Chemistry Panel
A blood-chemistry panel measures your pet’s electrolytes, enzymes and chemical elements of his blood such as calcium and phosphorous levels. These measurements help your veterinarian determine how your pet’s organs, such as kidneys, pancreas and liver, are currently functioning. Blood-chemistry panels also help your veterinarian accurately diagnose and treat illness, as well as monitor your pet’s response to treatment. Your veterinarian may also use the results of a blood-chemistry panel to determine if further testing is needed.

Your veterinarian may recommend a chemistry panel to obtain your pet’s baseline values, which can be compared to later tests. Any differences between the baseline values and values measured at a later time will help your veterinarian diagnose new problems.

Blood Clotting Function
Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT)- Blood coagulation screening test to check for bleeding disorders. Important for pre-surgery screening to determine clotting time and a patient's possible need for blood components or other therapy.

Heartworm Test
Your veterinarian may recommend a blood test to confirm the presence of heartworms in your pet. Several different heartworm tests will show the presence of microfilariae (offspring of adult heartworms) in your pet’s blood. There are other blood tests that confirm the presence of adult heartworms by detecting certain substances in the bloodstream.

Fecal Examination
Your veterinarian may examine your pet’s feces under a microscope for clues about many different kinds of diseases, including difficulties with digestion, internal bleeding and pancreas disorders. Most importantly, fecal examination will confirm the presence of intestinal parasites, including roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, tapeworm and giardia.

Skin Scraping
Skin scraping is one of the most common tests in veterinary dermatology. Your veterinarian will take a small scraping of your pet’s skin and examine it under a microscope to confirm the presence of certain types of fungi or microscopic parasites on your pet’s skin.

Fungal Culture
Your veterinarian may take a few hair samples if he is concerned about the possibility of a fungal infection on your pet’s skin. A culture test can be performed on the hair sample to detect the presence of fungi such as ringworm. Unlike other laboratory tests, it usually takes one to two weeks to get a final result from a fungal culture.

Test of Thyroid Function
A thyroid gland that is not functioning properly may not be producing hormones that are vital to maintaining normal growth and metabolism, or it may be producing too much hormone. Your veterinarian will measure the hormone concentrations in the thyroid gland to determine if your pet’s thyroid is functioning properly.

Fine-Needle Aspirates
If your pet has an unusual lump or bump on his skin, your veterinarian may take a sample of it using a hollow needle to withdraw cells and/or fluid from the lump. Your veterinarian will examine the sample on a slide under a microscope to help diagnose infections or cancer. Fine-needle aspirates also provide information about whether a tumor is malignant or benign, and if additional testing or treatment is needed.

Test for Feline Immunodeficiency Diseases
Your veterinarian may recommend a test to determine whether or not your cat has contracted feline immunodeficiency virus or feline leukemia virus. Your veterinarian will take a blood sample to perform an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to diagnose these viruses.

Laboratory testing can help catch many conditions early before they become serious illnesses, so be sure to ask your veterinarian about which tests your pet may need during your pet’s next wellness exam.

Thanks to AAHA for this comprehensive article. We are proud to be an accredited member. (Go to http://www.healthypet.com/Accreditation/AboutAAHA.aspx to learn why this is important to your pet).
 

Answering Your Pet Health Concerns

One of the best ways to catch and treat problems before they become major is by laboratory testing. Performed either before a surgical procedure or on a yearly basis for maintaining good health, is just plain smart care. We call laboratory testing, including a complete blood test (CBC), blood chemistry analysis, and urinalysis, “a window into your pet’s body” to help us see the health of the organ systems. Here are some answers to your common concerns.

1. “ I can’t afford it.”
The cost for testing early is small compared to the high cost of acute care for serious illness later.

2. ”My dog is fine; we just took him on a five-mile hike yesterday”

  • You can’t tell by looking, or by physical examination alone.
  • Animals still can’t talk and they instinctively hide their ailments.
  • Caregivers aren’t medical experts: sometimes it is difficult for a caregiver to understand the difference between a thirsty, energetic cat and a hyperthyroid case.

3. “I’ve had cats for years. Gumdrop is only eight and most of my cats live until they are at least seventeen. I don’t think I need to start testing now.”

  • Recent advances in veterinary medicine will allow Gumdrop to live even longer. Proactive, preventive health care may allow your cats to live into their 20’s.
  • Pets that show visible symptoms of kidney disease have already lost 75% of organ function. However, if the disease is diagnosed in its early stages, the animal could live to their full life expectancy.

4. “The prevalence on all of those illness is so low, it’s highly unlikely that my pet will get one of those.”

  • While individual prevalence may be low, in total, your pet has almost a 90% chance of getting one of them.
  • There is no pet family history! Without knowing which illness(es) they will develop, it is important to run a full panel of diagnostics each year .

5. “ My cat is ten; my last vet never brought this up before.”

  • With advances in veterinary medicine, it is now apparent that preventive diagnostics coupled with proper nutrition and exercise are extremely important to the health of your pet.
  • Many of the illnesses that we currently treat as acute problems can be prevented, if detected in the early stage This can increase the life expectancy and quality of life for the pet.
  • With the accessibility of accurate, affordable diagnostics, we feel that it is important to incorporate annual diagnostics in our recommendations.

6. “My cat is an indoor cat, she’s fine”

  • Despite the fact that your cat is not exposed to germs from other animals, there are many diseases that can occur regardless of his or her indoor/outdoor status.

7.“I did the testing for the past two years and he‘s always been fine. I don ‘t see a need to test him this year. “

  • A pet ages seven human years for each animal year. Can you imagine if your annual physical exam was every seven years? A lot can happen and change in that time. ..and remember Fluffy still can’t talk.

8. “My dog is only four, why does she really need this ?”

  • The reason for today’s testing is preventive health care. Your pet requires preventive care to catch diseases in their early stages.
  • Without a recent diagnostic history, we do not have a current record of the health of your pet’s organ systems. Baseline blood work will capture your pet’s current health status and allow us to chart her progression as she matures.

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Harmony Animal Hospital - 1401 West Indiantown Rd. - Jupiter FL 33458 - Phone (561)-746-5501 - Fax (561)-746-6114
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